It has been five empty days since I’ve met with my Maker. I feel drained, desperate for energy, and wasted. Right now, the beauty of God’s love is captivating me as I read in Hosea about Israel, the prostitute, who has left her faithful Husband for shameful idols. “For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor” (Hosea 9:1).
Think about your life. In the past 24 hours, how much time have you spent shopping, watching TV, listening to music, instant messaging friends, talking on your cell, doing chores, driving, working out, eating, getting ready, surfing the web, emailing, texting? Have you thought about it? Good.
Now, answer this question. How much of the past 24 hours did you spend with the One who created you, the One who knows your deepest fears, dreams, insecurities and desires, the One who loves you and never rejects you no mater what you do, think, or say, the One who sent His precious baby to die for your innate inclination for impurity (sin)?
Israel’s idols were gold and silver statutes, objects they worshiped while also worshiping the one true God who promised them redemption, freedom from captivity, and guided them through the wilderness. “With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? They are from Israel! This calf—a craftsman has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces that calf of Samaria” (Hosea 8:4-6).
In America, it is obvious most of us aren’t making little statutes to worship. Though I believe we worship less obvious idols, we worship our time, our money, our ipods, our movie stars, our fashion trends, our cribs, our “perfect” bodies, our high cheek bones, our full lips, our Botox, our luxury cars, our identities, and the list is never-ending.
On the Discovery Channel, my dad loves watching the show, American Chopper. It’s all about Chopper motorcycles. One episode the guys from the shop brought one of their custom bikes to a bike show. When they hyped up the crowd and unveiled their metal masterpiece, hundreds of people just yelled and screamed and cheered for what will someday be scrap metal! It is not that motorcycles are inherently evil because they’re not. The evil thing happens when we become attached to these things, when we cannot live without them because they boost our sense of worth somehow, and when we worship them by giving all our time and resources to this material object instead of to the God who is not bound by time, who is the beginning and end, and who has shown us what Love truly is.
The way the crowd cheered for the unveiled, shiny motorcycle impressed me. I thought, “Why don’t we worship the Maker of all things like that?” Are the mountains not as breathtaking as a man-made motorcycle? Or is God really not valued as the Creator of the breath taking mountains anymore? After seeing the crowd cheer wildly over the object of their affection, it made me want to scream uncontrollably and wildly for the Lover of my soul. Why not? If mankind can get crazy over engineered metal, why can’t we get crazy about the God we adore? As a giddy as girl who just met her true love, I want to be a giddy girl in my affections toward the one and only God.
Bono sums it all up in U2’s song, Love And Peace Or Else; the lyrics ring loud, “Lay down, Lay down, Lay your sweet lovely on the ground, Lay your love on the track, We’re gonna break the monster’s back, Yes we are…Lay down your treasure, Lay it down now my brother, You don’t have time, For a jealous lover.” This is my prayer for the world (me included in this world) that we would lay our other loves on the track because we need Love and Peace and no substitutes.
